Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the German Shepherd Dog Forums forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Security Question

While balancing on a piece of wood, two inches by four inches known as a 2x4, john and his friend sally both spotted a dalmatian inside a truck with sirens, headed to put out a fire. State what the 2x4 is made of.

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Topic Review (Newest First)

11-24-2012 12:09 AM

avonbankcollies

I only feed her deer or elk antlers now and no pet treats from the store. I give her cooked liver for training treats. so far so good... I only try one new thing at a time and monitor her reactions if she starts scratching then I discontinue that particular thing. your vet might be able to do an allergy panel on her

11-23-2012 10:55 PM

onyx'girl

Yes, you can give her the knucklebone as a chew while she is on kibble...I don't let the big bones dry out they will splinter, so after a chew session fridge it or toss it when it gets too dried out. The marrow bones have rich marrow that can cause diarrhea, another reason not to give them. Knucklebones don't have so much, mostly gristle and won't upset the tummy. Look forward to seeing her pics!

11-23-2012 10:44 PM

DaniMorzos

Jane,

Thanks for the info. I am definitely going to read up on it. Daisy has not gone through her first heat yet, that's why we are rushing to get her fixed. I do know a butcher close by so that is great, would it be alright the get the fresh knuckle bone while she is still eating kibble? She has had so many changes lately that I hate to do anything too drastic.
Thanks so much for helping me and Daisy out. I am hoping to resize a few pictures of her tonight to add to my post.

11-23-2012 10:35 PM

onyx'girl

Natural balance is a limited ingredient kibble. I don't feed kibble so can't really recommend others as I don't know what else is a LID. If you get vitamins, go with a C with rosehips, later you can give her EsterC but it has a bit too much calcium for younger dogs.
Do you have any raw distributors near you(not so much as in pre-mades but grinds, the green tripe is so good for the dog....natural digestive enzymes) A meat processor or butcher would be the way to go for meat, or venison, bison or elk for the muscle meat if you have a source.

For chew bones go to your local butcher and get a fresh raw beef knuckle bone(soup bone). Marrow bones are a bit hard, the knucklebone has beneficial cartilage and is softer than the weight bearing bones. Fresh meat has enzymes that break down the plaque on teeth so just chewing fresh bones is helpful in cleaning teeth. Also apples contain an enzyme that helps clean off the gunk. So a few chunks of apple if she'll eat it will help clean them.
I also give elk antlers as chews for my dogs(these are recreational chews, not something I 'feed')

If you decide to feed raw, please read through the forum here, lots of info on it and it isn't that difficult but you need to know what you are doing.

Has she had a heat cycle yet?

11-23-2012 10:32 PM

DaniMorzos

Avon,
See I was thinking it might be the grains- but the dog food she is on now is grain free. I was trying to find a dental bone for her today and ended up with just a bully stick because I didn't know what to get. Standing there I had a thought that she might be allergic to wheat or gluten. What do you use for dental bones for your dog? She has about half the bag left- if she is allergic, how long will it take to hopefully see less itchiness?

11-23-2012 10:26 PM

DaniMorzos

Thanks for replying Jane-
She is on Fish oil, I have been adding some water, but how much should I be adding? What kibble food would you recommend? If we go to raw, what should we try? She is going in next week to be spayed, I am hoping to get a look at her vet records then. So any refrigerated probiotic would be fine? Looks like I am off to Vitamin Cottage tomorrow.

11-23-2012 10:19 PM

avonbankcollies

My girl scratched and nibbled exactly the way you described, turns out she is allergic to grains in the dog food, i have switched her to grain free food and she is not scratching anymore, she is also allergic to chicken not sure why but now we avoid that too

11-23-2012 10:15 PM

onyx'girl

Welcome to the board(and posting!)

Are you supplementing with fish oil(2000mg) or natural vitamin C? C helps reduce inflammation and is a natural antihistamine. I would start with 500mg of C and over a week up it to 1000, then you could go 2000 mg split between meals. Usually 1000 is fine for maintenance.
I would add in both(human grade) and Vitamin E w/ mixed tocopherols every few days to counter the fish oils depletion of it.
I would get her on a limited ingredient(LID) or raw diet and make sure she doesn't have any fleas or internal parasites whatsoever.
Digestive enzymes/probiotics may help her as well, but I'd get her on something better than Kirklands.
Also humidity levels in homes are low this time of year, so increasing humidity will help her skin. Puppies seldom have allergies, they develop after a year or two of age. Kibble fed dogs do drink alot of water, have you tried soaking her kibble to see how much it expands?

11-23-2012 10:07 PM

DaniMorzos

New puppy with allergies?

Hi,
I am new to this board and have bee reading voraciously whenever I get time. We fell into this puppy when the former owner contacted me. They wanted to give the dog away because she was "allergic" to something in their house. No mind you she has several young children- not saying that someone with young children can't take care of a puppy- but the allergy thing didn't ring true to me. So- I have noticed that she scratches alot either by her collar, her ear, her side- she will nibble on her front and back legs and her tail. It isn't non stop- and she hasn't lost any hair- nor is she res or swollen anywhere. The vet she had been going to prescribed her a short 5 day dose of panacur? Which is a powder that she takes with her food. She also has been taking Chloropenamine- these small tablets 3 each at each meal- I feed her 2 times a day. The former owner said she has a sensitive stomach and the food she is on now seems to be better- its Kirklands lamb and sweet potato- grain free. I am wondering if her allergy could be to wheat or gluten? We tried bathing her in an oatmeal moisturizing bath and it doesn't seem to have done squat. She also seems to be quite skinny, so we upped her amount of food for awhile to see if she will gain weight.
Anyone out there have a dog with allergies to something in the home? Or does anyone have a guess as to what she might be allergic too? Oh, and she seems to drink alot of water, especially after she eats.